April 2008

Despite improvements in screening that result in detecting this colorectal cancer in earlier stages, the disease remains the second leading cause of cancer death in men and the third in women.

The recent FDA approval for Avastin has sparked discussion about the approval of pharmaceuticals that may improve quality of life but do not necessarily extend life.

According to Internet World Stats, access to the Internet varies greatly based on geographic location, in one estimate (December 2007) ranging from as high as 71% of the population of North America to less than 5% in Africa.

In the coming months, you will probably hear and read a lot about personal health records, as two technology heavyweights roll out initiatives designed to spur the mass consumerization of health information. The race between Google and Microsoft to apply the resources of the Internet to personalized healthcare might be great for consumers, but how will physicians benefit, if at all?

With the field of PHRs now significantly expanding to include providers, payers, employers, and information technology industry giants, such as Microsoft and Google, public awareness and attitudes regarding PHRs have changed.

Modern medicine has adopted technology and pushed the boundaries of science in impressive ways.